Good Ideas – Bad Execution?

Someone wise once said: “There are no bad ideas, only great ideas that go horribly wrong” — arguably this is the premise behind 90% of all Concept Cars we’ve seen at the larger International Auto Shows. But inquiring minds want to know “where are they now?” – Polling our audience, we compiled a list of Concepts to research, rolled up our sleeves and started investigating.

Concepts usually evolve into something else…

During our research we quickly came to the realization that some concepts were completely scuttled but others evolved into something else entirely. Let’s take a look at some of those evolutions from prototype to production.

The Audi Avus had a lot of things going for it… It was Audi’s first “mid-engined super car” boasting specifications like a Zero-60 time of 2.9 seconds with a top speed over 200 mph. Built on an aluminum space frame (first introduced on the Audi Spyder concept) with a turbo-charged W12 configuration. It was well ahead of its time, and gave inspiration to better known VAG products like the Nardo W12 and the W16 powered Veyron. Technology from the Avus continues to be used in mass produced VAG products today. #livelongandprosper 

We all know about the epic battles between Ford and Ferrari during the ’60s. LeMans gave way for the original Ford GT-40 to evolve and flourish; We all loved the GT-40 MK2 its a timeless design, one that Ford (until recently) wasn’t really able to recapture in the hearts of enthusiasts. 20 years after the GT-40s retirement the designers at Ford decided to release the radical GT-90 in 1995. Looking like something out of the movie Minority Report, the GT-90 never really caught on, especially against other modern supercars of the era. It would take Ford another 10 years before a worthy successor to the GT-40 would hit the market.

The sorted life of the Pontiac Banshee

Speaking of prototypes that never really caught on, The Banshee. Four iterations of this concept car emerged from the depths of GM between 1964-1988. Three of the 4 designs all morphed into something we recognized on the roads.

’64 Pontiac Banshee I > becomes the Opel GT

’74 Pontiac Banshee III > becomes the late ’70s Firebird

’88 Pontiac Banshee – IV > becomes the mid-’90s Camaro

A design that inspired … that classic ’70s wedge.

In 1968, the engineers at Alfa Romeo developed a prototype that would unknowingly change the way we looked at sports cars through the late ’70s and ’80s. In contrast to the Lamborghini Miura which is considered an early wedge, the Miura still had swooping lines, curved hips and exposed lights. The Alfa Romeo 33 ‘Carabo’ brought us to the future with a true wedge shape, hidden headlights, and for the first time: scissor doors. Little did Alfa Romeo know, this design would go on to inspire Lamborghini to create the first generation Countach which would evolve into the Jalpa, Countach LP and Diablo. Other manufacturers like: DeTomaso, Lancia and Lotus would also take cues from the Carabo. 

Concepts are often just that, concepts. The daydreams of bored engineers looking to inspire them to “the thing that leads to the next thing” or sometimes its a corporate push to re-imagine a brand that has lost it’s way. The stories behind many concepts and prototypes are fascinating, the pressure to complete them for a major show or the “borrowed from the parts bin” approach to piece-meal the vehicles together are astounding. Did you know Porsche has an entire warehouse that has been converted into a museum that houses nothing but rejects, oddballs and concepts?

And others should never have been built…

Touted as the “safest car in the word” we’re rather pleased that the 1957 Aurora Safety Car was never produced.  It would have claimed victor as “ugliest car ever”  (and it did in our Podcast Episode) but instead goes down as the ugliest concept car ever built – to this very day. 

Regrettably, a showcase of the ones that never made it.

And one’s we’re still waiting for… Promises, Promises (sigh).

**[editors note] – in 2020, these two cars finally became a reality! woot! **

Toyota Supra

Ford Bronco

All-in-all, concept cars are pretty awesome! In the automotive world, they are the purest form of imagination for both the designer and the consumer a-like. I can honestly say I had plenty of concept posters hanging on my bedroom wall as a kid: the Banshee IV,  Porsche Boxster (seen below), GT-90, Isdera Commendatore C112i, and the VW Concept R – just to name a few.

What concept car has most inspired you? What car poster was hanging on your wall as a kid Leave your comments below, we’d love to hear about your favorites. #neverstoplearning